Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Gay families are "Too Controversial"

I have told you before about a couple of campaigns in California aiming to put faces on the gay people so injured by Prop8 as we begin the long slog to repeal. As I posted very recently , gay visibility is a community responsibility that was memorably articulated by the late Harvey Milk. (If you didn't read that post, please do! It got crowded out by the inauguration but I think it is one of my better pieces.)

One of the new campaigns, the Courage Campaign,is a progressive group involved in Prop8 and other causes. It has collected pictures of couples and families that say, Please don't divorce us! . (Update: Courage Campaign is also taking a page from the successful Obama playbook and setting up training for would-be activists, called Camp Courage. The goal is to train the grassroots to get out there and get the votes.)

The other campaign, Get to Know us first, has an ambitious plan to make ad buys in different markets that show brief commercials about California families who happen to include a same sex couple. Remarkably, in a recent press release, the campaign points out that its ads were rejected by KABC-Los Angeles for being "too controversial". Apparently showing an ad with a same sex couple and their kids is too controversial in the 2nd largest city in the country.

What the....!

12 comments:

David G. said...

I'll give them something to contrive about!!

IT said...

More wingnuttery: see these crazy quotes from the Amicus briefs filed in favor of Prop8.

Cany said...

I couldn't read that one whole case (my computer isn't liking acrobat lately) (The Messiah case).

Where is that church? There is a TEC Messiah in Santa Ana, CA... surely that is not the party?

I have to say, IT, this kind of drivel before the court surely cannot help their side.

IT said...

No, it's an independent church in Marina del Rey, cany. It's very funny, it states in outline font that "Scripture is not subject to private interpretation!"

Anonymous said...

Disgraceful (that is, KABC. That the Pro-H8ers are disgraceful, goes w/o saying!)

Got some KABC contact info for us, IT? Not to mention a list of their advertisers, so we can tell them we'll boycott anyone advertising on KABC, till they accept the "Get to Know Us" ads?

IT said...

Well, the idea was to put them on TV on inauguration day, JCF. And they did get them on a number of stations (see the link for more). Now they are trying an ad buy for the Super Bowl.

The following lifted from a comment on Towleroad, a blog for all things gay:

Arnold J. Kleiner
President & General Manager
KABC-TV
500 Circle Seven Dr.
Glendale, CA 91201-2331
telephone: 818-863-7707
email: arnie.kleiner@abc.com

KABC-TV general telephone: (818) 863-7777
KABC-TV general fax: (818) 863-7654

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/index

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/feature?section=resources/inside_station/station_info&id=5783674

You can also complain further up the food chain:
MAIN ABC NETWORK ADDRESS:
Susan Lyne, President
ABC Entertainment
500 S. Buena Vista St
Burbank, CA 91521-4551
telephone: (818) 560-1000
(NY-Corporate): (212) 456-7777

Anonymous said...

While we're fighting, let this picture inspire! [That's Gene Robinson's daughter, Ella, along with the bishop, and some guy in the center. ;-/ (Photo taken on Sunday by Gene's partner, Mark)]

Brother David said...

I did not know that the new Statesonian president was a freakin' giant!

Anonymous said...

+Gene's pretty short, Daveed. ;-)

Brother David said...

Most of us are too!

Anonymous said...

Well, "Barry O-Bomber" was a high school basketball star . . . but more known for his outside shot, than his post-up in the paint. At 6'1.5" and skinny, he was "too small": it's all relative! ;-)

[My favorite Inaugural Ball---yes, I watched the First Couple's appearance at all ten (Note to self: if possible, attend an Inaugural Ball where the Prez is scheduled to appear EARLIER in the evening)---my favorite was "The Commander-in-Chief Ball". In it, the First Couple switched partners (briefly), w/ an enlisted man and woman, for whom it was undoubtedly a great honor. The President looked fine dancing w/ the female soldier . . . but Michelle was assigned to dance w/ a (Latino-appearing) Marine, whom she TOWERED over! Too funny! ;-D]

David G. said...

Unfortunately what I feared was true.

The HS Stud who was my dream during college, ... is now the LOCAL CLAN LEADER!?!

W T F !!